Episode Details

What if the stress you feel around certain friendships is not just emotional, but something your body is carrying too? In this episode, Dr. Taz sits down with Ericka Sóuter, journalist and author of How to Have a Kid and a Life: A Survival Guide to explore the hidden health impact of toxic friendships, toxic mom groups, social rejection, motherhood, loneliness, and the deep need for real connection.

In this episode, Ericka explains why toxic female friendships can leave women feeling anxious, rejected, drained, and unsure of themselves, and how social rejection can activate the same neural pathways as physical pain. She shares how these dynamics often begin early in girlhood, continue into adulthood, and become even more complicated when motherhood raises the stakes of belonging.

Ericka and Dr. Taz discuss why so many women stay in social groups that do not feel good, often because of proximity, fear of rejection, their children’s friendships, school communities, social pressure, or the emotional cost of leaving. They also explore the different roles that show up inside toxic groups, including the queen bee, flying monkey, emotional arsonist, silent stabilizer, and disruptor.

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If you’re listening to this and thinking, “I know something is off in my body, but I don’t know where to start,” join the Circle here:  👉 https://holplus.co/circle

Friendship is not just a social issue. It is part of your health. Dr. Taz and Ericka discuss how your community body, the relationships and environments you live inside, can influence your stress, mental health, family dynamics, self-worth, and even your physical wellbeing.

Learn more about support related to this conversation:
Pediatric Mental Health: https://holplus.co/services/pediatric-mental-health/
Mental Health: https://holplus.co/services/mental-health

Dr. Taz and Ericka also discuss how mothers can model healthier friendship for their daughters, why girls need to learn what real friendship looks like, and why two trustworthy friends may be more powerful than a large social group that leaves you feeling lonely, anxious, or unseen.

If you’ve ever left a dinner, school event, group chat, mom group, or social gathering feeling smaller, tense, excluded, or emotionally drained, this episode will help you understand why that feeling matters and how to begin choosing connection that actually supports your health.

In this episode, we cover:

•  Why toxic friendships can affect your mental and physical health
•  How social rejection activates the brain like physical pain
•  Why motherhood makes belonging feel even more urgent
•  How toxic mom groups form and why women stay in them
•  The roles of the queen bee, flying monkey, emotional arsonist, stabilizer, and disruptor
•  Why girls learn friendship more from what mothers model than what they say
•  How toxic friendships can affect your home life, family dynamics, and self-worth
•  Why real connection does not require a large friend group
•  How to help daughters navigate exclusion, rejection, and social pressure
•  Why diversifying your social groups can protect you and your children
•  How to recognize when a friendship no longer feels aligned
•  When to use a quiet exit and when to call out harmful behavior

This is not just about friendship drama. It is about understanding how your relationships shape your nervous system, your emotional